Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones

Pros: A wonderfully written novel
Cons: None

The Lovely Bones has received much attention. The basis of the novel sounds utterly depressing. A book, about a murdered 14 year old, told from heaven. Well, it's not a morbid book. Sure, it's sad in some parts, but then so is life.

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Pros: expertly written, never precious
Cons: It had an end.

This is a really beautiful novel. The story seamlessly wraps around itself to pick up characters where we last left them and takes the reader to the end much too quickly.

It is really hard to approach a much written about subject like death...

Pros: Richly detailed, well written story. The kind of book you can't put down.
Cons: I didn't get enough sleep until I was done reading :)

After having read the review of this book in Time magazine, I knew I had to read the novel! Written by Alice Sebold, a woman who herself had lived through being assaulted when she was a young woman, this book gives you a glimpse into the mind of a...

Pros: Mystery, ghost story and great storytelling; part tragedy and part comedy with fantasy
Cons: None

A new novelist gives voice to the voiceless and innocent little girls who got attacked and murdered. It's high time that one who knows their pain speaks on their behalf and that of their grieving parents.

What to do about around-the-clock...

Pros: Best book that I've read in ages. Go buy it, already!
Cons: Not a thing. My recommendation for Alice Sebold's debut novel is without reservation.

This summer hasn’t been the best for me in terms of summer reading. I kicked things off with the interesting and slightly stomach turning (but not sufficiently disturbing to convince me to shun beef) Fast Food Nation, then moved on to Melanie Rae...

Pros: beautifully written, with a unique point of view
Cons: one part seems straight out of the movie "Ghost"

What if, after your death, you could watch people on earth? Could you handle seeing your loved ones mourn?..Could you take seeing their lives go on without you? If you could customize heaven, what would your heaven be like?

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Pros: Not your typical murder mystery.
Cons: Too lengthy and focused too much on the supernatural.

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is a touching story that focuses on the difficulties The Salmon family faces after the murder of their older daughter. I've read this book numerous times, and each time it engages me more and more. I loved the book because of the point of view it offers. I loved that it showed the point of view of each character in detail. Although, I believe that Sebold focused too much on the supernatural. Also, I love the book because it's a touching and dark story. It shows that not only does George Harvey end Susie's life, but he ends the whole Salmon family's lives. I loved that the book was unlike anything else I've read before. There were many characters involved in the story line, but I think each character had an appropriate place in the book. It was difficult, at first, to keep track of them all. I wish that Sebold had focused a little bit more on the forensic/mystery side of the murder, instead of the psychological side. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and I enjoyed the perspective it offered.

Pros: Interesting, creative and thought-provoking.
Cons: None.

Even though the subject of murder, is not usually my first choice to read about, this book was different. It's enthralling from beginning to end. The story will linger with you for a long time.

Pros: This book allows you to experience your own emotions and imagine the characters as well.
Cons: There wasn't enough time to really get the familial relationships prior to the abduction.

How do you step out of a family's grief of a tragic event enough to see the real victim? Alice Sebold didn't have a problem with that. She brought both sides together and allowed us to experience grief and hope through the characters she created.

Walk with this family as they rebuild their lives from a shattered mess. Walk with the young victim as she watches over her family.

I wouldn't be opposed to this version of heaven. It is similar to What Dreams May Come, the movie with Robin Williams, in it's philosophy.

Pros: unique, suspenseful, well-written, creative
Cons: some parts are a little confusing if you don't read carefully

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning. Lovely Bones is probably the most interesting book I have ever read. It's told from the perspective of a girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. The book is about Susie Salmon (the murdered girl) who is killed in the beginning of the book and the rest of the book is about her family going on and living life without her. Everyones relationship is effected by her death, and Susie watches all of this from her viewpoint in heaven. It's unlike any other book I have ever read and I would definitely recommend it for anyone older than 13.

Pros: Great characters and plot. Definitely a page turner.
Cons: None that I can think of!

To be honest, I had never heard of Alice Sebold before coming across The Lovely Bones. I read a brief description of the book and I was quite intrigued. After reading this book for the first time, I fell in love with it! I've come to read it a few times and I can not seem to grow tired of it. It throws in so many different emotions and aspects together, but in a good way. Experience the sadness of this girl's death from her families point of view, but also experience the sadness that she experiences from Heaven along with her joy, hatred, fear and other things. It made me laugh, feel the pain, joy, sadness that the characters in the book felt. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to someone that has never read any other books by A. Sebold and to anyone that is looking for something different and interesting.

Pros: Beautiful story, thought provoking, deeply moving, great characters.
Cons: None.

A sorrowful and poignant novel that will never be forgotten. It grabbed me from the first page when it opened with the ending of Susie's life by a vicious murderer. For the rest of the novel she retells events from the past with the wisdom of one who sees both past and future. She observes from heaven the lives of those she loves and the one man that ended her life. As the years progress, we watch their lives ebb and flow and observe the effect that her untimely departure has on them, especially her father. The book concluded with something unexpected and quite wondrous. A must read for anyone who enjoys a novel filled with insight on grief. This should be a modern classic!

Pros: Very interesting idea for a book.Refreshing perspective!
Cons: Would have liked to have seen more happening to the murderer.

I was initially intrigued by the premise of this book. A murder victim telling her story and that of her family is a great idea for a book!
However, I really would have liked it better if there was more focus on the murderer(less on other characters) and justice served for the victim. I was disappointed with the ending. Aside from the ending, I thought it was a good read.

Pros: how everything gets you to make an image in your mind
Cons: i have no cons for the book.

The lovely bones is the best book i have ever read.my friend was first reed the book and talked so much about it and made me want to read it but when i went to the library to rent it there was a waiting list on it. I finally got to read the book this year and it was amazing.

the book changes your prospective on things and life on earth and even the after life. For one on my school projects i had to look up a little about the author and she wrote this book from life experience. which makes it even more valuable to know it lets you understand maybe just a little how she felt when she went through a tragedy like this.

What I loved most about this book was how original it was. The way it was set in heaven. and the whole book is Susie watching down on earth. The book is a very touching book and i would recommend reading it. there wasn't really anything i didn't like. it was completely a wonderful book.

Pros: attention grabber
Cons: a little confusing ,but understandable if read carefully.

When I first picked up this novel I thought to myself another boring book to read.But I was wrong ,this novel was very interesting.It caught my attention from the first paragraph when she said Salmon,like the fish:first name Susie.Becuase ,this meant that she didn't like her name very much,much like me so I thought since I have already read the first chapter.Which was about her unfortunate death as she told it from heaven also from what she remembered before and after her death.The only thing I didn't like about this story was that sometimes she was talking about one thing then start on another .But other than that the story was great.